Progressive men of the state of Montana, pt 1, Part 61

Author: Bowen, A.W., & Co., firm, publishers, Chicago
Publication date: [19-?]
Publisher: Chicago : A. W. Bowen & Co.
Number of Pages: 1374

USA > Montana > Progressive men of the state of Montana, pt 1 > Part 61

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After wintering in Helena, Mr. Marshall went to Sun river and put in the season in the wood busi- ness, and then engaged in freighting to Corrine and other points for two seasons, when he re- moved to Upper Willow creek, twelve miles from Pony, and took up a homestead, to which he has since added by purchase until he has now over four hundred acres, all practically under irrigation. This yields a large amount of excellent hay an- nually, usually from 300 to 500 tons. He was married February 23, 1882, to Miss Ora Prather, a native of Indiana, daughter of Walter Prather, a prominent farmer of that state, who lived and died there. They have only one child, a daughter named Mary. Mr. Marshall has been success- ful, and knows how to enjoy the fruits of his labor in a modest and comfortable way. His influence is felt in all matters of public interest affecting the welfare of the community, or contributing to the advancement of his section, and he is esteemed as a wise counsellor, a judicious friend and a public- spirited man. He has just completed a handsome brick residence on his farm, which, with the fine barns and other outbuildings already on it, makes it one of the best equipped properties in his sec- tion of the county. His location is also excellent. His land lies at the foot of the mountains, with North Willow creek running directly through it and uniting with South Willow creek at its lower border.

H ON. THOMAS C. MARSHALL, one of the leading attorneys of Missoula, Mont., and a member of the law firm of Marshall & Stiff, was born at Paducah, McCracken county, Ky., on De- cember 14, 1851. His parents, Hon. Charles S.

and Emily (Corbett) Marshall, were also Ken- tuckians. The father, a prominent lawyer, was early graduated from the Transylvania University of Lexington, Ky. While there he served as coun- ty attorney of Ballard county, and later he was circuit judge of the Fifth judicial district of Ken- tucky. In 1867 he was appointed register in bank- ruptcy by President Grant, and served with ability until the repeal of the bankruptcy act in 1875. Subsequently he was in legal practice in Kentucky until 1888, when he came to Montana and located at Missoula. In 1889 the last constitutional con- vention of Montana territory was held, and Mr. Marshall was a member of that distinguished body. The same year he was elected judge of the Fourth judicial district, comprising Missoula county, and continued as such until 1893, when he resigned from the bench. His death occurred no November 13, 1896, while he was on a visit to his old friends in Clinton, Ky. He left two sons, Thomas C. and Jacob C., the latter long an able attorney of Ballard county, Ky., but now deceased.

The paternal grandfather of these brothers, the distinguished Hon. Thomas A. Marshall, also a native of Kentucky, was a graduate of Harvard and for many years a very successful attorney of Lexington and Louisville. Twice he was elected as a member of congress, and he served twenty- one years on the supreme bench of Kentucky, sixteen years as chief justice. He died in Louis- ville in March, 1871. The paternal great-grand- father was Hon. Humphrey Marshall, of Virginia, later of Kentucky. He was a distinguished colonel during the Revolution, serving under Gen. Wash- ington. Later he served in the legislature of Ken- tucky and also represented Kentucky in the United States senate. He once fought a duel with Henry Clay, in which Clay was wounded. The ma- ternal grandfather was Jacob Corbett, a North Carolinian and a wealthy planter and slaveholder, who was for forty-four years clerk of the court of Ballard county, Ky., dying in 1855.

Thomas C. Marshall was educated in the pub- lic schools of Paducah, and at the State University of Kentucky, from which he was graduated with honors, he also taking a brilliant course in the law department. In 1875 Mr. Marshall was admitted to the bar and began legal practice at Paducah, and in Ballard county, where he continued until 1883. In June of that year he came to Montana and settled in Missoula. Here he immediately as- sociated himself in law practice with Judge F. H.

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Woody. The firm continued until 1887, when Mr. Marshall retired to assume the duties of attorney for the First National Bank, the Missoula Mercan- tile Company, and the Big Blackfoot Milling Com- pany, and he is still retained by these prominent companies as counsel. In 1898 Mr. Marshall formed a law partnership with Mr. H. C. Stiff, as Marshall & Stiff, which still continues with a client- age of representative and valuable character. Mr. Marshall is also heavily interested in mining prop- erties in the Wallace district and the Bitter Root county.

Mr. Marshall was formerly a Democrat, but in 1892 he became a Republican. In 1898 he was the nominee of that party for congress, but was defeat- ed by a small plurality. In 1887 he served with dis- tinction in the territorial legislature, and in the ex- traordinary session of that year, holding the ap- pointment of chairman of the judiciary committee. In 1885 he was elected mayor of Missoula and in this office gained the reputation of being the best mayor the city ever had. He was married in 1878 in Kentucky, to Miss Millie T. Jenkins, daughter of Dr. Jenkins, of Ballard county. She died in New York city in june, 1899. They had three children, Anna J., Emily M. and Charles S. Fraternally Mr. Marshall is a member of the Elks, United Workmen, Knights of Pythias and the Ma- sons. He is well and widely known, highly es- teemed, and his name stands for probity and true manliness of personal character.

A LBERT MASON .- A good soldier while the war drums of civil strife were beating in our unhappy land, entering the armies of the Union as a private at the beginning of the contest, and being honorably discharged at its close as a captain, a rank to which he had risen by repeated promotions for conspicuous gallantry on the field, and since a quiet, peaceful and useful citizen, Albert Mason, of Pony, in Madison county, has proven himself equal to either fortune and well equipped for both. He was born in Washtenaw county, Mich., July 9. 1841. His parents were Hiram and Mary (Jaquays) Mason, natives of New York, who were landed, by the tide of emigration flow- ing from the Atlantic westward, in Michi- gan about 1830, where they engaged in farming and passed the rest of their lives. They had ten children, of whom Albert was the sixth.

He remained in Michigan, going to school and as- sisting on the farm, until October 1, 1861, when he enlisted as a private in Company G., Third Michi- gan Cavalry, under Col. Minte. He was mustered into service at Grand Rapids, and went to St. Louis, where the regiment remained until March 1, 1862, drilling and preparing for active work. In March they were ordered to Island Number Ten, where they remained during its siege and capture. From there they went to Shi- loh, arriving a few days after the battle, and soon after were sent to Corinth, and took part in the siege, and, after its capitulation, spent the summer in northern Alabama, Col. Weizner being in com- mand. In the fall they returned to the neighbor- hood of Corinth, fought a battle there and one at Iuka and then joined Grant in the expedition to the rear of Vicksburg, from which he was forced to retire owing to his supplies having been cut off. Mr. Mason's regiment then marched to western Tennessee, where they were skirmishing and chas- ing guerrillas during the winter. About Christmas, having served two years, they were asked to re- enlist, which most of them did, and were given a month's furlough. On their return they stopped two or three months at St. Louis, and then were in Arkansas until the spring of 1865. From there they were transferred to Baton Rouge and Mobile, always in the most active service. Instead of be- ing discharged when their time was out, they were sent with Sheridan into Texas. There they were kept until the spring of 1866, when they were paid off and discharged at Jackson, Mich., Mr. Mason having been promoted through all the grades of the service to the rank of captain.

Six weeks after his discharge Mr. Mason started for Montana, traveling by rail to Atchison, Kan., and from there overland by the Bozeman cutoff to Virginia City, where they arrived July 18, 1866. They had no trouble with Indians, but soon after their train had passed Fort Phil. Kearney that post was attacked and ninety-six soldiers and Lieut .- Col. Carrington was massacred. Mr. Mason remained at Virginia City until October I, mining and getting out mill timber, then, after wintering at Sterling, went to Missoula county and put in the summer. In the fall he removed to Summit at the head of Alder gulch, where he spent a year and a half in mining with fair success. He wintered at Rochester, Madison county, mined the next year at German gulch with ordinary suc- cess, and then located a pre-emption claim on Up-

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per Willow creek and engaged in farming for two years, after which he left his claim, mined a year at Red Bluff, then came to the site of Pony and engaged in prospecting, there then being only two other persons in the gulch. He continued mining here about four years, most of the time with good success, and still has interests there which bring him in profitable returns. In 1882 he took up the homestead where he now resides, and he now has a ranch of about 300 acres ; a large portion is un- der irrigation and produces good crops of hay and supports generously from 150-to 200 cattle.

Mr. Mason was married April 2, 1876, to Miss Abbie L. Sparrell, a native of Massachusetts and daughter of George H. Sparrell, an immigrant into Montana from that state and now a highly re- spected citizen of Pony. He and Mrs. Mason are the parents of two children, Ida and Seward. The life work of such a man as Mr. Mason affords a pleasant theme for the pen of the biographer. He is a truly representative citizen, and has the confi- dence and respect of the community. In all the re- lations of life he has borne himself with credit to himself and with benefit to his fellows, serving them in many useful capacities, and discharging the duties of every public and private post with fidelity and intelligence. He has been for many years a school trustee, and was recently the choice of his party for county commissioner. He is a member of the Ancient Order of United Work- men.

T HADDEUS L. MATTHEWS .- Recognized as one of the representative business men of the capital city of Montana, of which state he has been a resident for nearly a quarter of a century, Mr. Matthews comes of Puritan lineage, the orig- inal American ancestors in the agnatic line having been one of the pilgrim fathers who landed from the Mayflower at historic Plymouth. Mr. Mat- thews himself was born in Camden, Oneida county, N. Y., on New Year's day, 1844, the son of Aaron and Sarah (Hibbard) Matthews. His father was born in the same house as was the son, the date of the former's birth being February 2, 1808, and the mother was also a native of Camden. Aaron Matthews was a civil engineer and a merchant, and was also county surveyor of Oneida county. In 1852 he removed with his family to Virginia, where he gave attention to merchandising until 1860, when the family removed to Minnesota,

where he passed the remainder of his life in honor and usefulness.

Thaddeus L. Matthews received his early edu- cation in the public schools of the Old Dominion and a private school at Falls Church, Va. He was sixteen years old when the family went to Minne- sota, and there he devoted his attention to farming and the meat business. In 1862 he enlisted in Company E. Ninth Minnesota Infantry, with which he served until the close of the war. In the first year of his service occurred the outbreak of the Sioux Indians, and his regiment was assigned to duty in suppressing these hostiles. He participated in several skirmishes with the savages, arrived with his regiment at New Ulm just after the battle, and assisted in guarding the town and burying the dead. He was also present at the hanging of the leading Sioux prisoners at Mankato. In October, 1863, his regiment was sent south, and he partici- pated in the engagements at Guntown, Miss., in June, 1864, and that at Tupelo, in July. In the fall the Ninth Minnesota was sent down the Mis- sissippi river and up White river, following Price through Arkansas and Missouri. Then it marched to Nashville, and thence to Mobile, where it re- mained until the surrender of Gen. Lee, being there- after stationed at Tuscaloosa, Ala., until the close of the war. Mr. Matthews was mustered out at Fort Snelling, Minn., on August 24, 1865.

Having thus rendered valiant service as a sol- dier, Mr. Matthews turned his attention to win victories of peace. He engaged in market gar- dening in Minnesota until 1877, when he came to Montana, and was in the employ of the Glendale Mining Company for seven years. In 1884 he came to Lewis and Clarke county, and was connec- ted with the meat business in Marysville until 1887, when he engaged in the same line of business for himself in Helena, which has since been his home. Mr. Matthews' efforts have been attended with marked success and he is today one of the substan- tial business men of the city, where he is held in high esteem by friends and acquaintances. Be- sides his two finely equipped markets in the capital city, he owns a good ranch in Prickly Pear valley, five miles east of Helena, which is operated under his personal supervision. Mr. Matthews is a mem- ber of the Republican political party, while fra- ternally he is identified with the Grand Army of the Republic, the Ancient Order of United Work- men and the Order of the Pyramids. At South Bend, Minn., in 1870, Mr. Matthews was united in

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marriage to Miss Katherine Pryse, who was born in Ohio, the daughter of Rev. James M. and Mary Pryse, who emigrated from Wales to the United States, her father being a prominent member of the Presbyterian clergy. Mr. and Mrs. Matthews have two children, Edna, the wife of Henry G. Duerfeldt, of Butte, and John, a practicing at- torney at Helena. Both children graduated in the Helena high school, and the son was graduated from the law department of the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor in 1899, and was admitted to the bar of Montana in the same year.

RCHIE M. MARTIN, one of the enterprising

A young men of Gallatin county, illustrates through his business success what may be accom- plished by energy and ability in the vast possibil- ities of Montana. He is a valuable citizen, deeply imbued with progressive western ideas, and was born in Page county, Iowa, on September 6, 1863, the son of Madison and Nancy J. (Milligan) Mar- tin, the father a native of Ashland, Ohio, and the mother a Virginian. Madison Martin participated in the Civil war, and at its close removed to Iowa and engaged in farming until his death in 1880. Archie M. Martin, one of a family of six sons and two daughters, passed his school days and learned the machinist's trade in Iowa, coming to Montana in 1879 by rail to Margaret lake and thence by stage to Butte. He was employed by the Utah Mill Company as a machinist and builder and for them erected mills, smelters and machinery for mining purposes for three years. During a por- tion of this time he was a partner with Mr. Luther Phillips in freighting. Mr. Phillips was the man- ager of the company when the firm dissolved. In 1883 Mr. Martin removed to Idaho and for six months was interested in lumbering, then returned to his Iowa home, and then traveled through Tennessee, Ohio, Kansas and other states.

Returning to Montana in the spring of 1884, he became manager of a large cattle outfit in eastern Montana for Fly & Story, of Bozeman. Six months later he visited the Judith basin, and there passed four years in lumbering and operating a saw-mill. Disposing of this interest he returned to Bozeman and secured a homestead claim on the West Flat- head, and added to this a section and a half of leased land, making a fine ranch which he suc- cessfully cultivates, growing large crops of winter wheat, of which he sows from 200 to 300 acres.

Iņ 1897 Mr. Martin assumed the management of the Flathead Threshing Company, of which he was a part owner. During the season he engages ex- tensively in threshing, the equipment embracing the latest improved machinery, horses, wagons and men, Mr. Martin having a private dining car. With this outfit he threshed 136,000 bushels of grain in one season. At the close of the threshing season of 1900 Mr. Martin engaged in freighting and hauled about 50,000 bushels of wheat to Belgrade. He is a part owner of a sawmill at Rocky Canyon, and is interested in copper properties in the West Home mining district of West Flathead, where with others he has secured four claims. They have taken out several tons of ore which indicate good paying qualities, one lead of five feet assaying $26 per ton. The tunnel at this writing extends fifty- three feet. Mr. Martin was married on November ber 26, 1891, to Miss Christina Gee, of Deer Lodge county, a daughter of George Gee, a native of Eng- land. They have four children, Florence, Archie, Jr., George and Mabel. Their home is in a beautiful location on hills overlooking the Gallatin valley, the handsome residence being surrounded by barns and outbuildings of substantial construction. Mr. Martin has recently planted several hundred fruit trees, thus adding fruitraising to his numerous profitable industries.

W ILLIAM T. MAULDIN came to Montana nearly four decades ago, and is clearly en- titled to the honors which attach to the title of pioneer of our great commonwealth, and although returning to the more settled states, its attrac- tions proved sufficient to again draw him within its borders. Mr. Mauldin stands today as one of the representative citizens and influential busi- ness men of Beaverhead county, maintaining his home in the city of Dillon since 1886. His ca- reer has been a varied one, and has been filled with well-directed and earnest endeavor, the re- sult of which is a success of no indefinite char- acter. Mr. Mauldin is a native of the state of Maryland, having been born in Cecil county, on September 3, 1843, the fifth in order of birth of the six children of John and Sophia (Simpers) Mauldin, natives of Maryland. John Mauldin was a resident of Maryland until the time of his death, having been a prominent merchant in the city of Baltimore for many years.

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William T. Mauldin received his educational training in the public schools of his native state, supplemented by a course of study in the acad- emy at Tuscarora, Pa. On leaving school he went to Indianapolis, Ind., and secured a clerical position in a shoe store conducted by his brother James, where he remained for a period of four years, but in April, 1865, he started for Mon- tana, arriving at Virginia City on September 2, and engaged in disposing of several loads of mer- chandise at good prices. The following year he joined the stampede of goldseekers and went to the Salmon river country, in Idaho, and followed prospecting and mining for two years. In 1869 he went to Utah, whence he brought through a band of cattle to Beaverhead county, Mont., dis- posing of the same at a good profit, repeating the enterprise the succeeding year. In the fall of 1870 he returned east, and in 1872 located in the city of Chicago, where he engaged in the grocery busi- ness for. about one year. After leaving Chicago Mr. Mauldin went to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where he was engaged in the produce business for two years, when he returned to Montana and was with his brother James on a ranch on Beaverhead river until the spring of 1876, when he went to Kansas and operated a farm for three years. In 1879 he returned to Montana and established himself in the retail cigar and tobacco business on Park street, in the city of Butte, which proved very suc- cessful. In 1886 he came to Beaverhead county and purchased a ranch two miles east of Dillon, to which he has since added until he now has a fine estate of 800 acres, equipped with the best of improvements and regarded as one of the most valuable places in this section of the state. The ranch is under a high state of cultivation, with an effective system of irrigation, and is chiefly de. voted to the raising of oats and alfalfa. In part- nership with his brother James Mr. Maulding platted an addition to the city of Dillon, the same being still owned by them and known as Mauldin addition. In 1892, associated with Simon Haus- wirth, Mr. Mauldin erected the Columbia block, a fine business building on Broadway, in the city of Butte, and still retains his interest therein.

In politics our subject gives allegiance to the Republican party, taking an active interest in public affairs of a local nature, and in 1894 he was elected a member of the board of county commissioners of Beaverhead county, which he held until 1898. At Ogden, Utah, on February

II, 1877, Mr. Mauldin was united in marriage to Mrs. Nancy (Roley) Featherly, who was born in Girard, Pa., the daughter of Henry Roley, a prom- inent railroad and canal contractor of that state. Mr. and Mrs. Mauldin now pass the summer months at their attractive home in Dillon, and spend the winters in Florida. They have no children.

C 'ORNELIUS MELTON, one of Gallatin coun- ty's successful and enterprising farmers and cattlegrowers, while not a Montanian by birth, came to the territory in early boyhood and can rightfully be classed as a pioneer. He was born in Knox county, Ill., February 5, 1857, one of a family of three sons and five daughters. His parents were Amos Melton, of Indiana, and Har- riet (Yard) Melton, a native of England. At an early day Amos Melton, the father, removed from Indiana to Illinois and engaged in farming. In 1850 he visited California, going by way of the Isthmus of Panama, remained two years, returned to the old Illinois homestead and was married. In 1864, with his wife and five children, he came to Montana, arriving in August. For two years he unsuccessfully followed mining, and then se- cured some land in Gallatin county and began ranching, which he continued to the time of his death, December 24, 1892. He was highly re- spected by all the residents of Gallatin valley.

The school days of Cornelius Melton were passed in

Gallatin county, where he remained with his parents until 1878. On February 5 of that year he was united in marriage to Miss Ellen Curtis, of Wisconsin, daughter of Robert B. and Susan E. (Hopkins) Curtis, the former a native of Vermont and the latter of Pennsylvania. Her grandfather, Joseph Curtis, was also a Vermonter, the family comprising three brothers that came from England and settled in the New England colonies. The father of Mrs. Melton came to Montana via the Bridger trail, arriving in the Gal- latin valley July 14, 1864. Here he engaged in general farming and stock raising, but in 1883 he returned to Wisconsin, and later went to South Dakota, where he at present resides.

Nine children have blessed the union of Mr. and Mrs. Melton: Eli, Nora, Belle, Clara, Do- rothy, Neal, Elene, W. J. Bryan Melton and Pearl. The home ranch of Mr. Melton is a beautiful one, comprising 320 acres, largely under irrigation,

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the East Gallatin river coursing through a por- tion of his property. Our subject conducts quite an extensive dairy business, his favorite cattle be- ing shorthorns. He also has some fine horses, trotting stock being his hobby. For a number of years he served efficiently as school trustee.

H ON. WILLIAM F. MEYER .- Prominent in connection with public affairs in Montana and known as a progressive and successful business `man and able representative of the bar of the state, no citizen of Carbon county more consistently de- serves definite consideration in a work of this na- ture than Senator Meyer, the present representative of his county in the upper house of the legislature.

William F. Meyer is a native of the beautiful little city of Ripon, Fond du Lac county, Wis., where he was born on the 3rd of March, 1857. His father, George W. Meyer, was born in the province of Hanover, Germany, and in his native land was solemnized his marriage to his good wife and help- meet, whose maiden name was Bertha M. Wiggen- horn, who was born in Westphalia, Germany. The paternal grandfather of our subject was William E. Meyer, a captain in the German army, having served under the renowned Gen. Blucher, with whose command he was present at and participated in the battle of Waterloo. George W. Meyer, his son, came to America in 1848 and took up his resi- dence in Wisconsin, where he has since made his home, devoting his attention to agricultural pur- suits and having a considerable interest in one of the leading banking institutions in the city of Ripon. Though he has attained the age of seventy- four years, he is still alert and vigorous in both mind and body, and is one of the influential citizens of Fond du Lac county. In 1901 he last made a visit to the Fatherland and passed a number of months in renewing the acquaintanceships of his youth and in visiting the scenes endeared to him through past associations. His wife is still living, as are seven of their eleven children.

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Progressive men of the state of Montana, pt 1, Part 61

Author: Bowen, A.W., & Co., firm, publishers, Chicago Publication date: [19-?] Publisher: Chicago : A. W. Bowen & Co. Number of Pages: 1374

Author: Bowen, A.W., & Co., firm, publishers, Chicago
Publication date: [19-?]
Publisher: Chicago : A. W. Bowen & Co.
Number of Pages: 1374